The diocese of Liverpool is a diocese of the Church of England in North West England. The diocese covers Merseyside north of the River Mersey, south-west Lancashire, western Greater Manchester, and part of northern Cheshire. Liverpool Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Liverpool, currently vacant. The bishop is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the bishop of Warrington.
What is now the diocese of Liverpool was historically part of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, and became part of the newly created diocese of Chester in 1541. The diocese of Liverpool was established on 9 April 1880.
Bishops The diocese's House of Bishops comprises the diocesan Bishop of Liverpool (vacant since 31 July 2025 (NB: the source states "July 2025" and "31 July 2026" — the latter presumably a typo.)), the suffragan Bishop of Warrington (vacant), and the honorary assistant bishop (since 1999) and pro-vice chancellor emeritus at Liverpool Hope University, Ian StuartThe Diocese of Liverpool – Diocesan Synod (a former Assistant Bishop of North Queensland.) Alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese who reject the ministry of women priests) is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor (PEV) the Bishop of Beverley, Stephen Race. He is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese in order to facilitate his work there.
On 28 February 2025, it was announced that Ruth Worsley was to become Interim Bishop of Liverpool (i.e. diocesan bishop ad interim) for a period of two years starting later in 2025; to facilitate this role, she was translated from Taunton to the vacant suffragan See of Wigan (becoming Bishop of Wigan) on 4 April 2025.
There are two retired bishops living in the diocese:Diocesan Synod Membership – March 2013 (Accessed 24 April 2014) Cyril Ashton, a retired former Bishop suffragan of Doncaster, has been a licensed as an honorary assistant bishop since his 2011 retirement to Lancaster, Lancashire (in Blackburn diocese, where he is also licensed.) Frank Sargeant, former Bishop at Lambeth lives in Salford, Greater Manchester (and is also licensed in that diocese.)
In May 2016, it was announced that Susan Goff, Suffragan Bishop of Virginia, had been licensed as an honorary assistant bishop (called "Assisting Bishop of Liverpool") in the diocese, as part of the companion link with the American Episcopalian Diocese of Virginia.Diocese of Liverpool — Historic Appointment of Bishop Susan Goff as Assisting Bishop of Liverpool (Accessed 5 June 2015) In response, the Diocese of Akure, Nigeria, has indicated that they wish to end their part of the companion link.Diocese of Liverpool — The Diocese of Liverpool and the Anglican Communion (Accessed 5 June 2015)
Pastoral reorganisation The diocese is in the process of reorganising its parishes into larger units under the tagline 'Fit for Mission'. This occurred first in Wigan deanery, which now consists of one benefice and seven parishes where once there were twenty-nine. An independent report suggested that the impact on the spiritual life and financial health of the deanery has not been positive. Similar mergers have taken place in St Helens and West Derby (although these only included those parishes that did not opt out) and one is underway in Warrington. Other deaneries are at earlier stages of the process.
Archdeaconries and deaneries DioceseArchdeaconriesRural DeaneriesDiocese of LiverpoolArchdeaconry of LiverpoolDeanery of Liverpool North and WaltonDeanery of Liverpool South and ChildwallDeanery of Toxteth and WavertreeDeanery of West DerbyArchdeaconry of St Helens & WarringtonDeanery of St HelensDeanery of WarringtonDeanery of WidnesDeanery of WinwickDeanery of WiganArchdeaconry of Knowsley & SeftonDeanery of HuytonDeanery of North MeolsDeanery of Sefton North1Deanery of Sefton South2Deanery of Ormskirk 1named Sefton until 2012
2named Bootle until 2017
List of churches
Extra-parochial places
Liverpool Cathedral Precinct (population 62): Liverpool Cathedral (1904–78)
Archdeaconry of Knowsley and Sefton
Deanery of Huyton
Benefice and Parish of Earlsfield (population 12,007): St Mary's Church, Knowsley (1830, rebuilt 1844) --- St George's Church, Huyton (1958) Benefice and Parish of Huyton (population 12,400): St Michael's Church (medieval) Benefice and Parish of Huyton Quarry (population 9,497): St Gabriel's Church (1894) Benefice and Parish of Kirkby (population 40,554): St Chad's Church (medieval chapel to Walton, rebuilt 1766, 1871) --- St Martin's Church, Kirkby Southdene (1955, rebuilt 1964) --- St Andrew's Church, Tower Hill, Kirkby (1960s, rebuilt 2002) --- St Mark's Church, Northwood, Kirkby (1950s, closed 2016) Benefice and Parish of Prescot (population 14,526): St Mary's Church (medieval, rebuilt 1610) --- St Paul's Church (1956) Benefice and Parish of Roby (population 15,410): St Bartholomew's Church (1850, rebuilt 1875) --- Trinity Local Ecumenical Partnership, Page Moss (LEP 1991, began 1934 as Methodist church, rebuilt 1961) Benefice and Parish of West Derby St Luke and Stockbridge Village St Jude (population 17,263): St Luke's Church, West Derby (1948, rebuilt 1960) --- St Jude's Church, Stockbridge Village (1972, closed 2016) Benefice and Parish of Whiston (population 9,402): St Nicholas' Church (1846, rebuilt 1868)
Deanery of North Meols
Benefice and Parish of Ainsdale (population 10,425): St John's Church (1882) Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St James (population 5,238): St James's Church (1857) Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St John (population 11,264): St John's Church (1890) Benefice and Parish of Birkdale St Peter (population 6,143): St Peter's Church (1871) Benefice of Kew (population 3,236): St Francis of Assisi's Church (1987, building 1997) Benefice of North Meols Parish of Crossens (population 5,489): St John's Church (1837, rebuilt 1885) Parish of North Meols (population 3,669): St Cuthbert's Church, Churchtown (medieval, rebuilt 1739) Parish of St Stephen in the Banks (population 3,824): St Stephen's Church, Banks (1868, rebuilt 1897) Benefice and Parish of Southport All Saints (population 5,910): All Saints' Church (1870, rebuilt 1980) Benefice and Parish of Southport Christ Church (population 4,863): Christ Church (1821) --- St Andrew's Church (1872, closed 1976) Benefice and Parish of Southport Emmanuel (population 10,208): Emmanuel Church (1898) Benefice and Parish of Southport Holy Trinity (population 4,650): Holy Trinity Church (1837, rebuilt 1912) Benefice and Parish of Southport St Luke (population 3,811): St Luke's Church (1880) Benefice and Parish of Southport St Philip and St Paul (population 11,026): St Philip (and St Paul with Wesley) Local Ecumenical Partnership (1876, rebuilt 1887, LEP 2001) --- St Paul's Church (1864, closed 1980s) Benefice and Parish of Southport St Simon and St Jude with All Souls (population 8,496): SS Simon & Jude's Church (1895) --- All Souls' Church (pre-1914, closed 2006)
Deanery of Ormskirk
Benefice and Parish of Aughton Christ Church (population 7,696): Christ Church (1867, parish church 1929) Benefice of Aughton St Michael and Bickerstaffe Parish of Aughton St Michael (population 4,624): St Michael's Church (medieval) --- Cottage Lane Mission Room (1888, closed) Parish of Bickerstaffe (population 1,625): Holy Trinity Church (1843) Benefice and Parish of Burscough Bridge (population 10,150): St John the Baptist's Church (1832) --- St Andrew's Church, New Lane (1903) --- St Cyprian's Mission Church, Hoscar (1767, closed C20th) Benefice of Halsall, Lydiate and Downholland Parish of Halsall (population 1,799): St Cuthbert's Church (medieval) Parish of Lydiate and Downholland (population 7,066): St Thomas' Church, Lydiate (1841, parish church 1871) --- St Catherine's Chapel, Lydiate (medieval, closed C16th) Benefice and Parish of Newburgh (population 1,093): Christ Church (1857) Benefice and Parish of Ormskirk (population 16,674): SS Peter & Paul's Church (medieval) --- St John the Divine's Chapel, Lathom (c. 1500) Benefice and Parish of Rainford (population 7,805): All Saints' Church (medieval chapel to Prescot, re-established c. 1700, rebuilt 1878) Benefice and Parish of Scarisbrick (population 3,405): St Mark's Church (1851, parish church 1869) --- Good Shepherd Mission Church (1907, closed 2022) Benefice and Parish of Skelmersdale St Paul (population 10,300): St Paul's Church (1776, parish church 1856, rebuilt 1906) --- Skelmersdale Ecumenical Centre Local Ecumenical Partnership (1960s, building 1973) Benefice and Parish of Up Holland and Dalton (population 33,583): St Thomas the Martyr's Church, Up Holland (medieval chapel to Wigan, parish church 1882) --- Church of Christ the Servant, Digmoor (1970) --- Oaks Church, Tanhouse, Skelmersdale (2004) --- St Michael & All Angels' Church, Dalton (1870, rebuilt 1877) Benefice and Parish of Westhead (population 2,005): St James's Church (1851)
Deanery of Sefton North
Benefice and Parish of Aintree St Giles with St Peter (population 7,734): St Giles' Church (1938, rebuilt 1956) --- St Peter's Church (1846, rebuilt 1876, demolished 1999) Benefice and Parish of Blundellsands St Michael (population 3,699): St Michael's Church (1907, rebuilt 1931) Benefice and Parish of Blundellsands St Nicholas (population 8,391): St Nicholas' Church (1874) Benefice of Formby Holy Trinity and Altcar Parish of Altcar (population 1,439): St Michael & All Angels' Church (medieval, rebuilt 1747, 1879) Parish of Formby Holy Trinity (population 6,884): Holy Trinity Church (1890) Benefice and Parish of Formby St Luke (population 4,970): St Luke's Church (medieval chapel to Walton, destroyed 1739, rebuilt 1854) Benefice and Parish of Formby St Peter (population 10,274): St Peter's Church (1746) Benefice and Parish of Great Crosby St Luke (population 9,661): St Luke's Church (1854) --- St Michael's Chapel (medieval chapel to Sefton, rebuilt 1774, demolished 1864) Benefice and Parish of Hightown (population 1,972): St Stephen's Church (1914) Benefice of Maghull and Melling Parish of Maghull St Andrew (population 10,481): St Andrew's Church (1880) --- Maghull Chapel (medieval, ruined) Parish of Maghull St James (population 4,679): St James's Church, Green Park, Maghull (1976) Parish of Maghull St Peter (population 5,656): St Peter's Church (1951) Parish of Melling (population 3,373): St Thomas & Holy Rood Church (medieval chapel to Halsall, rebuilt 1834) Benefice and Parish of Thornton and Crosby All Saints with St Frideswide (population 10,950): All Saints' Church, Great Crosby (1934) --- St Frideswide's Church, Thornton (1961, demolished 2012)
Deanery of Sefton South (formerly Bootle)
Benefice and Parish of Bootle Christ Church (population 10,267): Christ Church (1866) Benefice and Parish of Bootle St Matthew and St Leonard (population 19,921): St Matthew's Church (1887) --- St Leonard's Church (1889, destroyed 1941, rebuilt 1968) --- St Mary's Church (1827, destroyed 1940, rebuilt?) --- St Andrew's Church, Litherland (1903, closed 2019) --- St Thomas's Church, Seaforth (1815, redundant 1977) --- St John's Church (1866, closed) Benefice of Great Crosby St Faith and Waterloo Park St Mary Parish of Great Crosby St Faith (population 5,100): St Faith's Church (1900) Parish of Waterloo Park (population 3,141): St Mary's Church (1887, building closed, meets in hall) Benefice of Litherland and Orrell Hey Parish of Litherland St Paul (population 8,611): St Paul's Church, Hatton Hill, Litherland (1964) Parish of Litherland St Philip (population 12,418): St Philip's Church (1863) Parish of Orrell Hey (population 8,050): SS John & James's Church (2015, built C20th as Presbyterian church) --- Old SS John & James's Church (1910, demolished 2010) Benefice of Netherton and Sefton Parish of Netherton (population 15,080): St Oswald's Church (1938, rebuilt 1970s) Parish of Sefton (population 932): St Helen's Church (medieval)